


Cops and Hackers

by Sabishiioni



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Car Accidents, Cop AU, Depression, Hacking of which I know nothing about, M/M, Modern Setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-08 06:03:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1929438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sabishiioni/pseuds/Sabishiioni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A homicide cop and a hacker team up to solve a case. (Wow, that sounds like a plot for a late night, straight to TV movie...)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting For the First Time

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit  
> Warnings: Read them (Even the ones in bold, please)  
> Follow Me:[Tumblr](http://sabishiioni.tumblr.com/)  
> Follow PI: [Tumblr](http://projectinsanitywriting.tumblr.com/)  
> Mindless Babble: This is the second story For Project Insanity. This is the special one, where you, the reader, get to chose the ending. Just to let you know, the choices will be "Sad Ending" and "Less Sad Ending". At this point, I'm not quite sure which is which...

Fili swallowed the bitter tasting coffee as he looked around the office. There were about a dozen cubicles divided by cork-board walls. Each little box came with its own individual computer specialist complete with starch white shirts that had pens, screwdrivers and other items shoved in the breast pocket. The Cyber Crimes Division had to share the basement with archives and the evidence locker so the space was cramped. The lack of windows made the enclosure much too warm and stuffy.

'And their coffee sucks,' Fili thought to himself, dumping the contents of his cup in the nearest potted plant. A plant that turned out to be fake. "Oops."

"Detective Oakfield?"

Fili spun around, schooling his features into the very picture of innocence. The man before him was short and had the figure of one who was more used to being a desk jockey than chasing down bad guys. His hair style consisted of a doom worthy comb-over- long, greasy black hair not quite covering an obviously growing bald spot. 

"Yes Officer Kaufmann?"

The man held out a sheet of paper. "This is all we got off that laptop you brought us that might be of use to you. We think it was a part of a program of some sort, but we don't know really what kind."

"That's ‘cause it's not a program...."

The two men looked over to where the sing-song voice had come from. Officer Kaufmann glared at the shock of black hair that peeked over the cubical located in the back of the room. "Shut it, Durinson. Detective Oakfield does not need his time wasted by your foolishness."

Fili shot the officer an annoyed glare and walked over to the cubical. What he found was not what he expected. The young man appeared barely old enough to be out of high school. Long legs were clad in faded denim and he wore an over-washed band shirt under a short sleeved dress shirt that had probably never seen the warm side of an iron. Long wavy hair the color of dark chocolate framed a lightly tanned face. Even darker eyes peered up at him, a smirk gracing perfect lips.

"So what do you think it is?" he asked, proud of himself for being able to find his voice and not squeaking like a frightened mouse.

"Well, if anyone were to ask, and I notice they're not, I'd say they found a piece of a signature."

"A signature? For what?"

"For a crime that hasn't been committed or hasn't been detected yet."

As Fili's eyebrow rose, Officer Kaufmann joined them to glare at the younger man. "What have I told you about trying to interfere with real police business?"

Shoulders slumped as the man turned back to his computer. "Don't."

"Right." He turned a smug grin towards Fili. "Mr. Durinson here is a 'reformed' hacker. He used to be a big shot until he got sloppy paying off his mother’s credit card bills with money from dozens of peoples bank accounts."

"Hmm. A hacker..." Fili stepped back, noticing the ankle monitor locked around the others leg.

"Yeah- what of it?” the young man snapped.

"Who's your parole officer?"

The younger man blinked. "Mr. Fundin. Why?"

Fili grinned as he pulled out his cell phone and hit his speed dial. "Hey, Dwalin! How's it going?...Yeah, I know it's been a while. Hasn't Thorin invited you over for dinner?...Well then come over this weekend- he's got a rack of ribs he's prepping for the grill. Yeah, you should bring Balin too. Been a while since the captain got out." 

He laughed at something Dwalin said, but even more so at the astonished looks from Officer Kaufmann and the hacker. "Yeah, hey the reason I'm calling is ‘cause I need a favor. It's kinda a big one...Yeah- I need you to surrender custody of um..." He looked at the younger man. "What is your first name?"

"Kili..."

Blinking, Fili tilted his head. "Really?" 

At the others nod, Fili went back to speaking to Dwalin, a grin on his lips. "Kili Durinson...Yeah, the hacker. He'll be helping me on a case."

He held up a finger to stop the protest from Officer Kaufmann before the man could finish drawing a breath. He listened to Dwalin for a moment. "Yeah, I understand... No problem. I can come by first thing in the morning to sign it. Yeah...really...Oh I know!"

He noticed Kili peering curiously at him and realized he was blushing from a passing comment from Dwalin. He turned to face the CCD officer. He forced a polite smile as he held his phone out to the man.

"Officer Fundin would like to speak to you."

"Who are you?" Kili asked in awe as Officer Kaufmann stammered on the phone.

"Oh-sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Detective Fili Oakfield from Homicide."

"Then the case is...?"

"We found a dead guy. His laptop was hidden under some floorboard. It was the only thing that wasn't destroyed in his apartment."

"Oh..."

A few minutes later, Fili was leading the young hacker up the stairs. Kili kept pulling his jeans up to look at his now bare ankle in amazement. Fili chuckled.

"You're still tethered in a way. To me."

Kili looked at him, stopping on a landing. "Why are you doing this? I still have like a month to go on my parole..."

"Yeah, I know. Dwalin filled me in. You took the plea bargain they offered you- work for the Cyber Crimes Division in exchange for house arrest."

Kili lowered his head. "That's the shortened version of it."

"Well, just to let you know, the rest of your parole will be served with me on this case. If we solve it this week, you'll have your freedom." Fili shrugged. "Call it an incentive to help."

"I have no reason not to help you."

"Even if it means turning on people you might have called friends?"

Kili snorted. "My so-called friends were the ones who turned on me. Besides, all I do for Cyber Crimes is type up reports. It'll be nice to get out of that stuffy basement at least."

Fili chucked and continued up the stairs. "I have a feeling that I’ll have you doing much more than just filling out reports. What you said about a signature- do you think the crime has already been committed?"

Kili followed him, shaking his head. "No-he would've needed at least five more lines to complete his part."

The detective held the door to the first floor open. "'His part'? You mean there may be others?"

"Oh, I guarantee it. Probably between three to five others. The first line that was written seemed to be a continuation of something before it." The hacker grinned, lost in a memory. "There were four of us in my old circle. Our signature was just a bit of crappy animation that popped up, but we thought it was the coolest thing ever."

Fili smirked following the other man through the door. "And what crime did you commit for you to need a signature?"

"Umm..." Kili ducked his head, blushing. "We... we hacked into the school's testing program and ‘modified’ it so it would only accept the correct answers."

"Why would you do that?" 

"The school board was threatening to take away funding from our school unless we started to get better grades. That funding went for the only meal most of us had in a day."

Fili looked at his companion, just realizing Kili was a good two inches taller. That wasn't the only thing he noticed. He watched as Kili kept his head down, taking care to not to make eye contact with anyone yet somehow managed to avoid all contact with those around him. Keeping his hands in his pocket, he made sure to stay close to the detective without actually touching him. His movements spoke of abuse-or at least of neglect.

"Come on, I'll fill you in on the case over lunch. I'm starving!"

"Um...I haven't gotten my pay for this week..."

"Its fine, I'll treat on the condition that you don't complain about where I'm taking you."

Fili laughed at the hacker's expression. Somehow Kili managed to combine a look of horror with one of eagerness. The humor fled as Fili figured that his younger companion probably hadn't eaten a good meal in a long while and most likely would have eaten anything put in front of him.

"Don't look so worried. It's a small diner near where I live. It just doesn't look that great from the outside."

Kili visibly relaxed. "Oh- sounds better than the places I used to go to."

Fili motioned for them to follow him outside and to the employee parking lot. "Well the food is good, the prices are fair and the service is fantastic."

"Let me guess, there's a hot waitress who knows your name and what you order every time you go in there?"

"Half right." Fili grinned and stretched as they paused on the steps that led up to the station. "It's a waiter. And yeah he's hot and knows my order by heart."

Kili looked surprised, glancing around at the other cops walking past them. "Um... you're...uh...?"

"Gay? Yeah. Most the people that work here know that so I guess I sometimes forget that there are people that don't know." He glanced at Kili. "Is that going to be a problem for you?"

Kili shook his head. "Nope! Most definitely not a problem."

Chuckling, the detective led the other to his vehicle. "Hope you don't mind going topless."

The expression that appeared on the others face was priceless. It was the first time Fili had seen a completely open and honest smile on Kili. It suited him.

"This is awesome! I love Jeeps! I dreamed of getting a good job and buying one of my own someday." He sighed softly as he got in. "Guess that's not going to happen anytime soon..."

"Why not?" Fili got in and buckled up before starting the vehicle,

"Not a lot of places will hire an ex-con, especially not a hacker."

"I don't know. I hear there are some companies that will hire people like you as security consultants."

Kili snorted. "They only hire the best and I am most certainly not anything close to being the best."

"Well, you might have a permanent job with the CCD if you keep up the good work."

"Oh, yay. Just kill me now..."

Fili laughed, starting the vehicle and backing out. Soon they were on the road. "Maybe I can help you after this is over."

"You would do that for me?" Kili asked, raising an eyebrow. He sat back in his seat, enjoying the wind blowing through his hair. He knew it would be a rat's nest by the time he got to the diner, but in that moment, he really couldn't care less.

"Sure, you help me, I help you."

Kili smiled as he turned his head to watch the scenery pass by in a blur.

***  
Fili watched as his companion inhaled the burger and fries he had ordered. He glanced up, signaling for more fries and a refill on his coffee. Bofur grinned, nodding his head and putting in the request with Bombur while grabbing the coffee pot. The waiter came over and filled up the mug.

"Looks like you'll be needing another chocolate Coke." He shook his head at Kili's worried look. "Oh don't you be worrying-it's free re-fills. I'll go get that started for you. Anything else you boys need?"

Fili shook his head and Bofur left them to go fill up a few more coffee mugs before he started on Kili's drink. The younger brunet couldn't help but to smirk at the blond.

"Oh, you got it bad!"

"I have no idea what you mean!" Fili grinned, hearing the younger man laugh. 

"Oh come on! Have you even ever asked him out?"

The smile grew a little sad. "Yeah. He told me his girlfriend didn't like to share."

Kili's face crumpled. "Oh. Well, shit, I'm sorry."

The blond waved off his sympathies. "It's fine. He's still one of my closest friends so I guess I got a fair trade."

Bofur came over with another basket of fries and the tall glass of Coke with a goodly amount of chocolate syrup at the bottom. He laughed as Kili all but lunged for the drink. He turned back to Fili with a knowing look in his eye.

“So, Fili- this the new love interest?”

Blue eyes bulged as the blond spit his coffee back into his mug. His entire face turned tomato red as he sputtered, trying to form actual words. All this just made his companion laugh even harder, accidentally snorting his drink through his nose.

“He…he’s helping me on a case! Christ, Bofur!”

“Oh, I’m sure he is,” Bofur replied, handing Kili an extra napkin for the coffee that missed the mug. “Ya just get lucky with the good looking partners!”

Fili mock glared at him as he left. Kili cocked his head, looking at the detective. “What did he mean by that?”

The blond sighed. “His current girlfriend was my last partner…”

“Oh…ouch…”

Fili shrugged, finishing his fries. “They’re happy. I think she actually went back to school to become a nurse.”

“Well, that’s good, I guess. She’s still helping people, right?”

“Yeah. And she’s way smart so she’ll do well.” He gave the other a half smile. “She was smart enough to get out of police work.”

“Are you not happy being a cop?” 

“Oh, I love being a cop; don’t get me wrong. But she wanted a family. This really isn’t the right job for that.”

“Hmm, I guess so.” Kili glanced at the man. “Do you want a family?”

Fili shrugged. “I’d like someone to come home to, but I’m not sure I’d want kids. I mean, it’d be bad enough leaving behind a widower, but kids shouldn’t grow up without a father or...maybe I mean two parents. I don't know. I just wouldn't want to leave behind some innocent kid.”

Kili looked down at the basket of fries he had been devouring. “Yeah…maybe I wouldn’t have become so screwed up…”

“Dwalin mentioned that you only had your mother. May I ask what happened to your father?”

Shrugging, Kili picked up a fry and dragged it through his ketchup. “I don’t know. I think he ran off before I was born. Mom doesn’t talk about him.”

“I didn’t know either of my parents. They were killed in a car crash when I was a baby. My uncle adopted me though, so at least I had a family.”

Kili looked up at him. “I’m glad one of us did.”

***  
“Did you want to come in?”

Fili hesitated at Kili’s offer. “Your mom won’t mind?”

“She’s not home. I actually haven’t seen her in like a month.” He got out of the Jeep. “I think she went to live with my uncle or something.”

Hearing the heartache in the others voice, Fili nodded. “Alright. Maybe we could talk about the case since we didn’t seem to do much of that at the diner.”

Kili laughed as he led the detective through a broken gate and to a rusted outer door. He unlocked the chipped wooden one and held it for Fili. He pointed to a staircase that had once been grand but neglect had pushed it to the point of being almost dangerous.

“I live on the third floor. Sorry but the elevator is broken.”

“That’s fine. I would have asked to take the stairs. I hate elevators.”

Kili raised an eyebrow as he led the cop up the creaking stairs jumping over the third step. “Just elevators or…”

“Enclosed places,” he answered the open ended question. “Uncle Thorin says it’s because I was in the crash that killed my parents. The car was so mutilated they had to use the Jaws of Life to get me out.”

Kili paused, looking in horror at the man. “Damn…”

Fili shrugged. “I was like…six weeks old? I don’t remember any of it-least not consciously. So I’m claustrophobic. What’s your Kryptonite?”

Laughing, Kili continued climbing the steps. “Um…I’m terrified of spiders. It doesn’t have a story behind it- I’m just scared of them.”

“Yeah, not a big fan either.” 

They stopped in front of the door with a tarnished ‘306’ on it. Kili fiddled with his keys again and opened it. He glanced at Fili, a slight pink tainting his cheeks.

“Um…sorry about the…um…décor?”

Fili blinked as he followed Kili inside. The phrase should have been ‘lack of décor’ since there was barely anything in the small apartment. A threadbare rug covered a small portion of the hardwood floor in what should have been the living room. A two level bookshelf made of cinder blocks and plywood held several well-read paperback novels and a few children's books was pushed against a wall. A radio made in the early ‘80s sat on top of it. A beat-up camp chair sitting in the corner by the dirty window completed the furnishings. 

“Um…I’d offer you something to drink, but all I have is tap water. I ran out of flavor packets a couple of days ago.”

“It’s fine. I don’t need anything.” He walked into the tiny kitchen with Kili who filled a small cup with water. He took a small brown bottle from one of the cabinets and shook out a single pill, popping it into his mouth. Chugging the water, his face scrunched up with distaste.

“I’m not sure which is worse: the pill or the water.”

Fili picked up the bottle, a little surprised when Kili didn’t try to stop him. “’Ludiomil’. Isn’t that a…?”

“An antidepressant? Yeah.” Kili lowered his eyes. “They discovered I was suffering from it when I was arrested. They had a shrink come in and talk to me. Dr. Tauriel.”

Fili grinned as he set the bottle on the counter. Payback time. “Ah, the way you say that name- a little crush, maybe?”

The light pink blossomed into a full on blush. “She’s pretty and nice but …”

“But what?”

Kili gestured to the apartment. “I don’t really have anything to offer a doctor; especially since she’s the one treating me.”

Fili dropped the teasing, genuinely curious now. “How many times do you see her?”

“I have a session usually about once a week.” He pushed himself up to sit on the counter since there wasn’t any place to sit. “Mr. Fundin knows about them…”

“Yeah, apparently he failed to mention that.”

Kili chewed on his lip. “So…are you regretting getting me out of the CCD?”

“Nope. You said you’re okay with me being gay. I think I can be okay with you being depressed and getting help for it.”

That statement brought a small but real smile to the younger man’s lips. “So…um if you want to go over the case, we can go sit on my bed.”

“Actually, I think I want you to pack a bag and come stay with me.”

The smile vanished. “You don’t trust me?”

Fili glanced at the bare apartment. “Actually, I don’t trust this place. I’d rather have you alive to work with me.”

Kili burst out laughing. “It’s not that bad!”

“And my place is better. I have a spare room that I use as a quasi-office. It has a bed in it, though. And a computer, but I do have to ask you to refrain from doing anything illegal from there. I’d really hate to have to explain that it wasn’t me to the CCD guys.”

Kili tilted his head. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Very.”

“But it would only last until the case is solved, right?”

Fili shrugged. “Well, we could call it a trial run. When the case is done, if you still like living there, maybe we can work something out.”

Kili grinned and ran to his room to collect his things as if afraid the detective would change his mind if he didn’t hurry. Fili laughed softly and gathered the books and the radio. He had no plans of ever letting Kili come back here. He pocketed the bottle of pills as he held out his hand for Kili to take. Shouldering his backpack that contained the rest of his belongings, the younger man took the detective's hand and followed him out the rickety door.


	2. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit  
> Warnings: Read them (Even the ones in bold, please)  
> Follow Me:[Tumblr](http://sabishiioni.tumblr.com/)  
> Follow PI: [Tumblr](http://projectinsanitywriting.tumblr.com/)  
> Mindless Babble: Bad storm coming in, so I thought I would post a bit early in case I lose power. Also, this will be four chapters. I forgot that I didn't add the two endings to the main story so I will be taking down the voting until next week when you can vote on the fourth chapter! (Although, I see that I could skip this and just post the happier ending...)

“This seems a bit…extreme for a hacker…”

Fili glanced up at where Kili was eating a slice of pizza and looking and the crime scene photo of the body. His hair had been pulled back into a messy ponytail showing off the several piercings in his ear. The man in the photo had been beaten with yet unknown object, his skull caved in. The fact that Kili hadn’t tossed his cookies at the sight impressed the detective who had seen seasoned cops lose it at less, even more so as he was eating while looking at the gruesome pictures.

“Well, up until I met you, the thought that he was a hacker hadn’t even entered my mind. I thought that maybe he was some sort of bookie until I got that piece of paper.”

“Do you think that maybe there have been other victims? Like some that maybe you guys didn’t associate with this murder?”

Fili shifted his sideways position on the armchair he was draped across. “Hmm…Don’t know. We can hit the archives in the morning. Ori should be working then and he can help us.”

“Ori?”

Smirking at the lilt in Kili’s voice, Fili shook his head. “Just so you know- I’m single; not dating anyone; not really interested in anyone. Ori and I went to the Academy together. He’s a friend and that’s it. ”

Rather than deflate the hacker, that information seemed to please him. His brown eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief as he set down his pizza.

“Alright…So, what do you look for in a guy?”

Fili set down the file he was reading for the third time. “I don’t know- nice personality, fun to be around…someone hot…”

Kili tilted his head. “Do I meet any of those qualifications?”

“All but the one where you’re not gay…”

“Who said I wasn’t?”

Fili just shrugged. “I just figured that you were straight from the way you kinda freaked out today in front of the precinct.”

Kili shrugged. “Been with a few women but never with a guy before. I wouldn’t be …opposed to trying…”

“Was that a hint?”

“I don’t know…would you be willing?”

This time Fili sat up, staring at Kili. Yeah, there was more than a bit of desire in him for his younger companion, but there was wariness. He had been asked to experiment with a few other guys, those not too sure about their sexuality, but most of them ended badly. He’d rather keep Kili as a friend than lose him to a bad night of sex.

“I’m…not unwilling…” he stared, setting the file on the coffee table. “But I also want to make sure this isn’t just some whim of yours.”

Kili blushed a bit, looking down at his hands. The detective could see he had inadvertently hit a nerve. He scowled, staring at the younger man. 

“Tell me about yourself.”

“You already know most of it…”

“No, I know that you’re serving time for stealing money to pay bills. I know you hate spiders and you’re in treatment for depression. That’s not really a lot.”

Kili sighed, but it wasn’t one of resignation. It was one that sounded like he was steeling himself. “Fine, but then you have to return the favor; tell me about yourself.”

“Fair enough.”

Nodding, Kili scooted up to sit on the couch. “Um…well, um…I graduated from the local high school…barely. But that was because I didn’t apply myself. The…the bills I was trying to pay off were actually credit cards my mother used to pay for her treatment.”

“Treatment for what?”

“Cancer.” Kili reached out and picked up his pizza again. “Breast cancer. She beat it but it was an expensive fight. She couldn’t work and no one would hire me so…I started to fall back on my hacking skills.”

“Did she know what you were doing?” Fili asked, taking a sip from the beer he held.

“Not until I was busted.” Kili’s voice became softer. “She was…disappointed in me- wouldn’t even visit me while I was in jail. She actually still doesn’t know exactly what I was doing. I asked that be part of my plea deal.”

Fili nodded, making a note to have a chat with Dwalin when they stopped by in the morning. “So, you were arrested, took the deal and been living in that…apartment alone?”

“Just for this past month. Mom stayed for a while.” He nibbled on the cooled pizza.

“Alright, my turn. I was raised by my uncle who owns a high tech security firm. I had a pretty good education, graduated in the top 5% of my class.”

Kili lifted his head, a faint smile on his face. “And Ori?”

Fili snorted. “He was up there with me. I had the higher GPA though.”

“Of course you did. Isn’t that why you’re a detective at your age?”

“How old do you think I am?” Fili asked.

“You’re 28, five years older than me.” Kili grinned at the surprised that colored the others face. “You were actually the talk of the CCD. Youngest person to ever make detective in the city. I think Kaufmann has a poster of you in his office.”

“Please tell me you’re kidding…”

Kili laughed, his body relaxing with the humor. “Yeah, but you really are a hero to him. Someone dedicated, hard-working and honest. A pillar of the community. Someone who will go far in the force!”

Fili tilted his head. “Why do I have this sinking suspicion that that was part of a speech- one that you might have heard a little too often?”

“Because it was.” Kili’s shoulders slumped a bit. “You were the name he used to try to discipline me. He never described you though. Might have listened a bit better if he had.”

“So you find me attractive?”

“Very.” Kili replied without hesitation. He lowered his eyes again, a light pink coloring his cheeks. “Honestly though, you’re the first guy I ever thought of like that. And it wasn’t because you told me you were gay- but that was kinda… um a …ya know… but really I thought you were hot when you came into the CCD and…that was… it felt…”

Fili stopped him with a kiss. He had crossed over to the younger man while Kili was stumbling over his words, too embarrassed to notice the movement. It was a gentle kiss, one that was chaste and sweet but held promise of something more.

Brown eyes flew open in surprise but eased shut in bliss. Fili ended the kiss, letting his five o’clock shadow brush Kili’s dark scruff. He cupped the younger’s face as he pulled back. 

“How was that for your first gay kiss?”

Kili blinked several times, as if just waking up. “It was…your mustache tickles!”

Fili chuckled softly as he leaned in to touch foreheads with the other. “So does your scruff.”

“But I…I kinda liked it…” Kili whispered shyly.

“Are you okay with that?”

“Yes.” Deep brown eyes met with blue. “I really am.”

Smiling, Fili brought his lips back to the chapped ones belonging to the hacker. Kili leaned back against the arm of the couch, bringing the detective with him. The elder hummed his approval, slipping a hand into the thick, wavy hair while the other slid across Kili’s lower back. The younger showed his appreciation by deepening the kiss. He parted his lips, inviting the others tongue to play with his. Both moaned in pleasure at contact.

Fili broke away first, pushing himself away from his oh so desirable companion. He was breathing hard and his face flushed. He grinned, noticing that Kili wasn’t in much better shape. 

“You should go grab a shower. I’ll clean up here.”

“But…!”

“No, Kili. I don’t think we should go any further tonight. I don't think either one of us is ready for that next step…”

Kili sighed, but nodded. “You…you’re probably right. Did you want some help cleaning up?”

“No, I’ll be fine.” He stood up and held out a hand to help Kili up. “I’ll get you a fresh towel.”

“Thanks.” He took the offered hand but didn’t let go. “Thank you for everything…”

Fili knew he was talking about more than just the kiss. “Don’t worry about it. I think I’m getting the better end of the deal anyway. I'm getting someone who actually knows what they're doing and can help me on this case! All that in a nice package to boot!"

Kili's cheeks reddened as he looked at their intertwined hands. "And I get a real bed, not a mattress on the floor, in a place that has food in the fridge and drinkable water from the tap."

Knowing that he would never take those things for granted again, Fili smiled. "Come on- I'll have your meds ready when you get out of the shower and you can even have some of that yummy tap water..."

"You really are okay with that, aren't you?" 

"Kili- from what you've told me that you've been through, I'm actually shocked that you aren't stark raving, drooling on yourself mad."

The younger man laughed finally letting go of Fili's hands. "Yeah, well, just be careful. I just might try to stab you in the shower or something!"

It was Fili's turn to let out a bark of laughter as he showed Kili the bathroom and gave him a fluffy white towel. "Not going to happen- doors, not curtains!"

"Finally! Somebody who gets my movie references!"

"Hey, you're talking to someone who has a lifetime membership to Netflix."

Kili tilted his head. "Why waste the money when you can stream it for free? I know a bunch of websites-"

Fili gently pushed the taller man into the smaller room, laughing softly. "Shower. You can use anything you find in there, just be warned, the apple stuff is pretty strong."

Kili glanced over his shoulder. "Why would you have something like that?"

Blue eyes found the beige carpet that changed to the white tile of the bathroom. "While everyone at the precinct knows my sexual preferences, not all of them are comfortable with it. Last Christmas, at the district party, a couple of the guys got me a basket of stuff from Bath and Body Works as a...a gag gift."

Deep brown eyes darkened in anger. "To humiliate you."

Fili nodded but grinned a bit. "Yeah, but it kinda backfired on them. The female offices spent the rest of the evening talking to me about what to use and how to use it."

"Ha! That must have annoyed them. Did they ever get over themselves?"

Shrugging, Fili finally looked up again. "Don't know- they all transferred out over the next month."

"Their loss." Kili leaned in and gave the blond a gentle peck on the cheek before disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door. 

Fili brought his hand up to bush over the spot Kili had kissed. It was so odd to be so attracted to someone he had just met, but it felt too right to not mean something. Still grinning, he headed into the kitchen to finish cleaning up and get Kili' pills ready.

***  
“Morning, Ori.” 

The short redhead looked up and grinned. “Good morning, Fili. Kili! Good to see you out of that stuffy CCD office.”

The brunet blushed. “Um...how do you even know my name?”

Ori shrugged. “I asked. Officer Kaufmann told me.”

Kili blinked. “Why did you ask? I mean...I'm not anyone important to the department. In fact...I think they sorta hated me.”

“Which is exactly the reason I asked!” Ori laughed at the bewildered look on the others face. “If those arrogant jerks in the CCD don't like you, then that means we can be friends!”

A smile broke out on Fili's face. “Good to know the two of you will be getting along alright. Mind if I let Kili fill you in on what we're looking for? I need to go talk to Dwalin for a bit, get everything legalized and all.”

Ori nodded, a grin that threatened to split his face in half on his lips. “Sure, no problem! We'll probably have solved the case for you by the time you get back, but I'll keep him busy.”

Fili snorted as he shook his head. Patting Kili on the shoulder, he turned and left, heading up the stairs to the third floor. He knocked on the door with the name Dwalin Fundin printed on the frosted window before he entered. The bald man glanced up, a phone on his shoulder. He held up a finger then indicated the chair on the other side of his desk.

“Yeah, I know what he did, Kaufmann...Yes I know that too. Ya do know who his parole officer is?” Dwalin sighed, his eyes rolling back in annoyance. “Kaufmann! What's done is done! I'm not changin' my mind ta suit ya so stop yer bitchin' and find something better ta do wit' yer time then tell me how ta do my job! Like maybe yers!”

He slammed the phone down, taking a moment to close his eyes and rub the bridge of his nose. “It's no wonder Kili was so happy ta get out of there.”

Fili chuckled. “I'm here to finish the paperwork for that.”

The older man nodded and pulled out a file from the large stack on his desk. “Right. So...have ya met his mother, Dis?”

“No. Don't think I will either. Seems she moved out about a month ago.”

Dwalin raised an eyebrow. “Really now? He didn't tell me that.”

“I have a feeling that there's a lot he hasn't told you.” Fili's expression darkened. “Of course it would have been nice to have a heads up on his medical condition.”

Dwalin shrugged as he opened the file, pulling a sheet of paper from it. “Didn't seem important. He's in treatment and it seems ta be doing him good.'

“He was embarrassed to tell me.”

Chuckling, Dwalin glanced across the desk. “Well now...that's interestin'.” 

A blond eyebrow rose. “How is that interesting?”

“Tell me, Fili. Ya interested in him?” He laughed as he didn't need a verbal reply as the blush crept up from the others neck. “Ah, so it's a mutual interest. Thought that might happen.”

“You...wha? Wait? Did you plan this?”

Dwalin snorted as he passed the paper and a pen to Fili. “Yes, I murdered a geek ta get tha two o’ ya together.”

Still scowling, Fili picked up the pen and signed his name. “But...what did you mean by that?”

“When Kili came ta me, I had a feeling that tha two o' ya would hit it off. Maybe not in a romantic sense but I figured that if tha two o' ya met, ya could be friends. An' that is something Kili is desperately in need o'.”

“Yeah, well, he may have found...something more...”

Dwalin nodded. “I wasn't sure if he swung that way...”

“He's not either,” Fili replied, wryly.

Barking out laughter, Dwalin stuck the paper back in the file. “This should be fun.”

Rolling his eyes much like his friend had done just minutes before, Fili sat back in his chair. “I had him move in with me. I mean, did you ever see that death trap he was living in? The building should be condemned!”

“Aye, I saw it. Also met his mother once. She seemed...distant.”

“Did you know she had breast cancer?” Fili asked. “That was what Kili was trying to pay off.”

“No...I was just told it was credit card bills. Figured that she was spending the money buying stuff ta cheer herself up.” Dwalin rubbed his chin. “I never got tha sense that he was tha type ta be breaking inta banks fer tha hell o' it.”

Fili's expression softened. “He's not. He's too gentle for that.”

Dwalin stood up, walking around the desk to place his hands on the younger man's shoulders. “Ya need ta take care o' that lad, ya hear me?”

Fili tilted his head back as he nodded. “I will.”

***  
The first thing he heard as he reentered the archive room was laughter. For some reason, the sound filled him with both happiness and fear. He stepped behind the counter to find Kili and Ori drinking coffee and laughing. Kili grinned up at him.

“Ori's been telling me about what you were like at the academy...”

“Oh, he has? Then tonight, when were at home, remind me to tell you some stories about him.”

The redhead paled slightly as he turned to his companion. “Wait...you live with Fili?”

“Um...yeah, kinda. I just moved into his spare room yesterday...”

“Oh, crap...”

Fili laughed and poured himself a cup from the little 12 cup coffee maker Ori had stashed under the counter. “So, did the two of you crack the case?”

“Not quite, but Ori found three other cases that have similarities to ours.” Kili pulled them up on the flat screen monitor. Three sets of images appeared, all of them with dead bodies, heads smashed in.

“None of these cases have ever been solved, but they were never really looked into either,” Ori said, setting his cup down. “These two bodies were never claimed and this one apparently had been disowned by his parents the year before. The parents refused the body. I looked into your current case and found out that your vic's family was killed in a house fire three years ago.”

“And in each of the three old cases, they mention that the laptop or computer had been destroyed to the point of no recovery,” Kili added. 

“The murder weapon was never identified either...” Fili read. “Looks like you guys did some good work.”

“Ori did all the work. I just talked.”

“But he gave me the parameters for what to look for,” Ori said with a grin. “They were really wasting his talents in the CCD.”

Kili just blushed. “I...I burned a copy of the files for us to use.”

“Sounds good. I got the paperwork done so you are now mine.” He smirked as he took a sip from his borrowed mug. 

Ori snorted. “God, Fili! Can you just be a little cruder?”

“Could be, but I won't.”

Kili laughed but cut himself off. “Hey! Can I check my e-mail here?”

“Yeah...I guess so. You do know that million dollar winner e-mail is just a scam though, right?”

The hacker rolled his eyes. “I can send out feelers to my old hacker buddies, the ones that didn't turn on me. They might have heard something that could help.”

“That's actually a good idea.” Fili looked thoughtfully at his new house mate. “You might also want to warn them about what's been going on.”

Kili nodded as he opened up his account. He took a moment to clean it out before going into his address book. A few minutes later he logged out.

“Done. I guess we just wait now.”

“Then we wait over food. Come on, we'll get some breakfast and then go chat with some of the witnesses.”

Kili jumped out of the chair. “Food!”

Ori's eyes filled with worry. “Why didn't you tell me you were hungry? I have a secret stash...”

“Because he knows the stuff you have will put him in a sugar coma,” Fili replied, mock gruffly.

The redhead laughed. “I didn't hear you complaining during finals week.”

“That was because I was young and stupid. I know better now.” He wrapped an arm around thin shoulders. “Besides, I was ordered to take care of this one by Dwalin so I don't need you killing him off while he's helping me!”

Ori's laughter followed them out the door.

***  
Fili wandered into the kitchen around lunchtime to find Kili at the stove. It had been a long week with the two of them interviewing neighbors and what few family and friends the victims had. They had taken the day off, both sleeping in, content in their own beds for now. Neither seemed to mind taking it slow and for that, Fili was thankful.

Whatever the brunet was cooking, it smelled wonderful. Grinning, he padded up to wrap his arms around Kili from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. There was a brown blob slowly liquefying in the skillet and a glance at the sink told him there were some noodles draining.

“What are you making?”

“One of my favorite snacks: peanut butter ramen!” He turned his head just enough to give the blond a peck on the cheek. “Trust me, you'll love it! Watch this-it's really pretty!” 

He poured a mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil into the pan with the melted peanut butter. He gently stirred it, the mixture becoming akin to an abstract painting. Fili raised an eyebrow, actually impressed.

“Okay, that was quite beautiful.”

Kili grinned. “Can you hand me the noodles?”

Fili stepped over to the sink and grabbed the strainer. Handing it to the younger man, he returned to his previous position. He smiled as he watched Kili coat the noodles with the light brown mixture.

“You’ve made this a few times haven’t you?”

Kili shrugged. “It’s cheap to make. The sesame oil is a little pricy but you don’t use too much of it. And this makes like a few serving so…”

Nodding, Fili let go of the slender body and went to the cupboard to grab a pair of bowls. “Chopsticks?”

“It’s more fun,” Kili replied taking the frying pan from the heat. He split the contents into the two bowls, setting the pan in the sink and rinsing it off. “I hope you don’t mind me cooking. I just thought I should do something nice for you since this has been like the best week of my life.”

Fili paused in his search to find matching pairs of chopsticks to glance over his shoulder. Though still underweight, Kili was starting to fill out a bit. His skin was no longer as pale and his cheeks were starting to lose some of the gauntness. Still, this week had been trying for Fili and yet his companion still held it up as being the best he had. Sighing softly, he returned to his task- his seemingly impossible task.

“Glad one of us had a good week…” He nearly cheered as he found a matching set. When had he gotten so many chopsticks? “We still have no leads on this case.”

“But at least we know what the murder weapon looks like!” Kili said cheerfully as he took the bowls to the little table they used for eating. The coffee table was still being used for the case.

“Yeah, I guess that is something.” He growled and just grabbed two chopsticks for him to use. “Stupid weird assed club…”

Kili laughed. “It’s called a kanabō.”

“Yep, weird ass club.” Fili sat down at the table and handed the other man the matching set. “This looks good though.”

“It’s supposed to be a side dish but there were a lot of times that I ate it for meals. Probably not the healthiest thing but it filled me up.”

Chuckling, Fili tried the dish. His eyes widened in astonishment. For such common ingredients, not to mention so few, it was surprisingly tasty. Both creamy and salty it was…satisfying. 

“Alright, you were telling the truth. This is amazing!”

Kili giggled, blushing slightly, still not used to compliments. “I’m glad you like it.”

“You keep this up, I might put you in charge of the cooking.”

“Only if you like ramen. I have two cookbooks and their main ingredient is ramen.”

Fili tilted his head, watching the other eat for a moment. “How about we go grocery shopping tomorrow? Together, after work. We’ll stop at Barns and Noble first and get you a decent cookbook.”

Kili’s eyes lit up. “Really? That would be so cool!”

“Sure. Maybe we can learn together; actually start making meals instead of pestering Bofur all the time.”

“You’ll miss him, though,” Kili teased.

“Not when I have you.” There was no tease in his tone, causing the other’s cheeks to darken even more.

“I…I think I could live with that.”

“Alright, then it’s a date! Maybe I’ll even take you to this café where the make the best crevet in the world!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The peanut butter ramen recipe can be found here: [FOOD](http://projectinsanitywriting.tumblr.com/post/82377324930/so-now-that-i-have-my-nine-nazgul)


	3. The Bad Thing That Happened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit  
> Warnings: Read them (Even the ones in bold, please)  
> Follow Me:[Tumblr](http://sabishiioni.tumblr.com/)  
> Follow PI: [Tumblr](http://projectinsanitywriting.tumblr.com/)  
> Mindless Babble: Lots of violence this chapter. You have been warned.

Later that evening, Kili came out of his bedroom where he had been checking his e-mail. Fili could tell something was wrong, but experience had taught him not to pry. It was hard though, when the hacker looked so distraught.

“Hey Fili? Would it be alright if I took a walk?”

“You don’t have to ask permission. I trust you…” He tilted his head. “Did you want me to come with you?”

Kili shook his head. “N…No, that’s alright. I just need to clear my head and Dr. Tauriel says doing something physical like taking a walk helps.”

“Alright, but take this with you.” He dug the cell phone out of its carrier on his belt. “The house number is speed dial one.”

Kili took the phone, giving the detective an odd look. “Why do you have your home number on speed dial?”

“I got tired of punching it in every time I wanted to check my answering machine…” Fili defended. 

Despite his apparent anxiety, Kili laughed. “Okay, fair enough. I shouldn’t be more than an hour. “

“No hurry. Take all the time you need.” Fili stood up and gently kissed Kili’s lips. “Just come back, okay?”

Making a non-committal grunt, Kili stole another kiss before heading out the door. Chewing his lip, Fili tried to go back to his book but the nagging little sensation in the back of his mind wouldn’t go away. He made his way into the kitchen to make some tea, hoping that it would help him relax. He had just removed the tea bag when the house phone rang.

“Kili?!”

“He…hey, Fili.” There was a waiver in the younger voice causing a bubble of panic in his chest. “Um…I got to thinking and…I kinda went on my own to check out a hunch…I think you should see this.”

“Where are you?” Fili grabbed his jacket and slipped it on while looking for his shoes.

“That old warehouse off Second Street.”

Fili scowled. That warehouse was a few miles from his house. Kili couldn’t have walked there on his own in the short amount of time that had passed. He wanted to ask but Kili cut him off.

“Please…please hurry…”

“I’ll be right there, Babe. Hang on until I do, okay?”

He could hear the smile as Kili softly replied, “’Babe’?”

Blushing as he grabbed the keys to his Jeep, Fili answered with honesty. “I think I care enough about you to give you a nickname. But I have to go. House phone doesn’t like being away from home.”

There was a quiet giggle on the other end of the line that was abruptly cut off.

***  
Fili broke more than a few traffic laws getting to the warehouse. He didn’t care. He knew to the depth of his soul that the one he was most definitely falling in love with was in trouble. The waiver in his voice, the way he sounded so unsure, and the cut off laughter-they all triggered his over-protective nature. He had to get to Kili.

He parked his Jeep just outside the chain linked fence. Taking his Mag-light with him and holstering his side arm, Fili slipped through the gate noticing the cut chain hanging from one side. The full moon lit the yard, outlining the dead trees and shrubs while highlighting the cracked walkway that led to the broken front doors. The short hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. Nothing was right about this place.

He cautiously made his way to the door, slipping in like a stray cat. He pulled out the Glock 35, switching off the safety. He swept the foyer with the flashlight before heading to the open door. There was a long hallway ending with a door hanging off one hinge.

Fili crept forward, pushing the door open with the barrel of the pistol. Abruptly, his sight was stolen from him as a wave of white hit him. Just as suddenly, the light was gone, leaving him to blink away the starbursts that kept flashing behind his eye lids. His gun and flashlight were taken from him.

”Good job, Kili. I’m so glad you saw fit to actually follow instructions.”

“Not like I could do anything else…”

Fili turned towards the familiar voice. His eyes still watering he made out the blurred shape of the young hacker. “Kili…?”

“I’m sorry, Fili. I didn’t have a choice…”

“Oh he had a choice. He just chose someone else over you.”

Fili turned towards the unfamiliar voice. He was a tall man with pale skin and dark eyes. Nothing adorned his hairless scalp, though there were more than a few scars that ran across it. He was dressed casually, in jeans and a button up solid black shirt. A lovely woman with hair the same color as Kili stood wrapped in his arms, a knife to her throat.

Fili straightened, whipping the tears from his eyes. “Okay…since I see to be late to this party, anyone care to fill me in on what’s going on?”

“I convinced Kili to bring you here. You were getting too close to my business venture.”

“What?” Fili looked at the group confused. 

“We were close to breaking the case. Those feelers I sent out gave him a heads up…” Kili replied miserably. “One of them told me that Azog had a weapon like the one I described…”

“So what does the woman have to do with this?” 

Azog’s expression was that of a shark circling its prey. “She was the bait.”

Fili scowled. “But I have no idea who she is…”

“She’s my mom…”

Fili’s head snapped to stare at the miserable man, one who could no longer even look at him. He felt his heart go out to Kili, knowing how this was hard on him. To have to choose between the mother who hated him or the stranger that maybe loved him- Azog was one of the cruelest monsters he had ever met. 

“So now you have me. Let her go.”

Azog’s smile grew as he released the woman. “Just remember, if you try to run, my men have instructions to shoot her.”

Sighing, Fili took a step forward, but stopped as Dis stopped in front of her son. He caught the sneer she gave him. He also saw the pained expression on the young man’s face.

“Trading my life for someone else's? You disgust me!” She turned away and started walking towards Fili.

Although Dis may have neglected to see them, the tears that flooded dark eyes were not missed by the detective. He knew the mother’s words cut deeply into the unselfish heart. Once again his chest ached for Kili.

Dis stopped when they were standing side by side. “I am sorry that my son dragged you into this.”

“Kili is honorable. He was helping me.” Fili sighed as he glanced at where the younger man stood, his entire body taking on a deject pose. “He loves you.”

Dis huffed as she continued on, through the door. 

***  
Fili’s head snapped to the side, blood flying from his mouth. His one eye that was not swollen shut rolled back but blessed unconsciousness would not come to him. Blood streamed from where the zip ties cut into his wrists that bound him to the plastic and metal chair. There was even more scarlet flowing wounds that dyed the blond hair red. 

“Stop it! You’ve made your point! You’re going to kill him if you keep it up!”

“That, my sweet little Kili is exactly what the plan is.” 

The hacker let out a soft sob before he turned and fled into further into the dilapidated building. Azog’s laughter followed him as did the sound of another fist striking flesh.

Kili ran, going deeper into the building but having a good idea of where he was headed. This warehouse had been his summertime playground when he was a child. He knew every inch of it like the back of his hand. The emergency generator that was powering the lights Azog was currently using to beat the man he loved to death was located not far from the main floor. He tightly clutched the flashlight Fili had brought with him, thankful that that the leader of the hacker group missed him grabbing it. 

When he was sure that no one was following him, he made his way back to a small room near the front foyer. The lock had already been broken so Kili simply slipped in and threw a monkey wrench into the machine. Actually he beat it with the wrench, but took great pleasure in it. Finally all the lights in the building went out.

Without turning on the flashlight, Kili returned to where chaos was raining. He had to stifle a giggle as he heard Azog yelling orders but no one actually able to respond to them. Biting his lip, the hacker burst into the room, flashlight on, and made straight for the leader.

“The cops! They’re coming here! He must have called them after I hung up! You have to get out of here!”

The pale man growled, his face contorting with rage. He grabbed the flashlight before turning to his men. A wicked sneer appeared on his lips. He pointed at Kili with the light.

“Leave the cop- he’ll be dead soon enough! But take the little one!”

Kili’s expression turned to one of pure terror. “But you…I gave you what you wanted!”

“But I want more!” Azog laughed as his men grabbed the younger man. “Besides, you know too much!”

With that he, turned and ran for the back exits, his men dragging a struggling Kili with them. The last thing Kili saw before the doors closed was Fili finally succumbing to the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voting is now closed. Thank you for all those who participated.


	4. The Less Sad Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit  
> Warnings: Read them (Even the ones in bold, please)  
> Follow Me:[Tumblr](http://sabishiioni.tumblr.com/)  
> Follow PI: [Tumblr](http://projectinsanitywriting.tumblr.com/)  
> Mindless Babble: Well, an overwhelming percentage of you are hopeless romantics. Out of the 36 people that voted, 29 voted for this ending. You can see the results [here](http://projectinsanitywriting.tumblr.com/post/93380224704/voting-is-now-closed) .

Fili’s eyes fluttered open to unfamiliar whiteness. He blinked a few times, realizing that nothing really hurt. This prompted the obvious question.

“Am I dead?”

There was a bark of gruff laughter as a familiar face appeared in his line of sight. “No laddie, yer not dead. Drugged ta tha gills, aye, but yer still among tha livin’.”

“Dwalin?”

“Aye. Thorin is here too. He jus’ went ta get us some coffee.”

Fili tried to sit up and found his body was too heavy to move. Dwalin caught on to what he wanted and used the remote to incline the bed. The blond sighed in relief, shifting slightly to get comfortable.

“Where am I and how did I get here?”

“Yer at Renown an’ yer here ‘cause o’ dumb luck!” Dwalin sat on the edge of the bed. “A trucker passin’ by saw picked up a woman who told ‘im that there was trouble going down in that warehouse. He radioed the police an’ they found ya bloodied, beaten an’ tied ta a chair.”

“I will try to remember to be nicer to truckers from now on…” a deep voice said from behind Dwalin.

“Thorin!” Fili knew that his grin was a bit on the dopey side, but he was happy that his uncle was there.

The tall man leaned over to kiss his nephews forehead. “It is good to see you awake, Fili. You had us worried for a while.”

“How long was I out?”

“Almost five days.” Thorin sat on the bed, opposite Dwalin. “You have four broken ribs, a punctured lung, some pretty severe internal bruising…”

“Not ta mention tha mother o’ all concussions.” Dwalin finished. “Ya’ve been driftin’ in an’ out fer tha las’ day o’ so.”

“Hmm…That’s not surprising, I suppose. Azog did work me over pretty good…”

“Azog?! He’s tha one that did this ta you?” Fili flinched at the rage in Dwalin’s voice while Thorin looked mildly confused. “He’s on our local top ten mos’ wanted list.”

“Well he’s planning a heist…but I don’t know the details. Kili might know…” He scowled at the darkened expressions on both his friend and his uncle. “What? Did something happen to Kili?”

“Aye…” Dwalin looked down, unable to continue.

Thorin picked up one of Fili’s hand, careful of the bandages around the wrist. “Your Kili…he was found in a ditch about a mile from the warehouse. He was…beaten…far worse than you…”

Blue eyes widened and filled with tears. “What happened? If he…is he…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it, not that four letter word that carried such finality with it.

“He’s alive… if ya could call it that.” Dwalin sighed, looking so much older. “He’s on life support.”

“Wha…” Tears escaped to roll down ashen cheeks.

Gently squeezing the smaller hand in his own, Thorin spoke the words that needed to be said. “Fili… there were barely any defensive wounds.”

Fili blinked, trying to understand what his uncle was saying. “But…but why wouldn’t he defend himself?”

Dwalin let out what could have been a muffled sob, had it been anyone else. “Tha woman tha trucker picked up? It was his mother. She told us how ya traded yer life fer hers. She didn’t try ta cover her disgust, either.”

“Dwalin has told me what this boy means to you. I believe that you mean just as much to him and I fear that he felt he betrayed you, thereby losing the only one in this world that may have still loved him.”

“You mean…you think he wanted to die?”

“With no one to care what happened to him. I doubt he really cared what happened to him.”

When Fili started to struggle to get up, neither Dwalin nor Thorin could hold him down. “I need to see him!”

“Trust me, Fili- it’s not a pretty sight!”

“I don’t care, Dwalin! He’s there because of me! I have to see him!”

“Fine! You can go see him, but let me get a doctor to make sure you do not kill yourself in the process!”

Fili calmed down at his uncle’s words and a few minutes later, he was dressed in a warm robe, being pushed in a wheelchair towards the ICU by Dwalin. Thorin walked next to him, still holding his hand. As they approached the door leading to where Kili was, the hand tightened.

They paused before entering, Dwalin kneeling in front of the wheelchair. “Alright, lad. Ya need ta know what’s on tha other side o’ that door…”

“I know- The man I love is in there.”

“No, Fili.” Thorin stopped the protest before it could start. “Of your love, I have no doubt. But what is in that room is a shell. A badly beaten one.”

“Like I said, Kili got it a lot worse than ya. Bot’ o his legs were broken as well as all tha bones in his right hand.”

Fili tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. Injuries like that usually meant nerve damage, Kili would never be able to type again. The one thing he loved doing had been taken from him. Silently, Fili swore Azog would pay.

“He also had a lot of internal damage- broken ribs and collar bone, punctured lungs and ruptured organs. There is swelling around his spine. Doctors are unsure if he’ll even be able to walk again.”

“Good thing my place has an elevator, then.” He would get over his fear if it meant Kili lived.

Thorin smiled at his nephew. “Did you want us to come in with you?”

Fili shook his head. “N…no. What…What I have to say to him is just for him.”

“Understood. We’ll be here when you wish to return to your room.”

With a grateful smile for Thorin and a nod of thanks for Dwalin, who held the door open, Fili wheeled himself into the small room, where the other half of his soul lay on the doorstep of death.

***  
Fili had to repress a shudder as the door closed behind him. The smell of antiseptic hit his nose at the same time as the sounds of the machines that were keeping his almost lover alive reached his ears. Dwalin and his Uncle somehow managed to secure a private room for Kili and for that, he knew he would be eternally grateful to both of them. The tears flowed from his eyes as he rolled his chair to the bed.

It was worse than his imagination. White gauze seemed to conceal every inch of skin not already covered with monitors or tubes of flowing fluid. Gauze swathed the once beautiful face but did nothing to hide the swelling. Once long and flowing locks had been shaved so the skull could be opened to release the buildup of fluid on the brain. A tube that supplied precious air to non-responsive lungs slipped past broken and bloodied lips.

Fili stood, balancing himself against the bed. Gently, he took the hand that was not in a cast and held it tenderly. He brought it to his own split lips, softly kissing the scrapped knuckles.

“Please wake up, Kili. I need you.”

***  
He woke to a gentle pressure on his hand. Thorin and Dwalin had convinced the hospital staff to bring in a bed so Fili could stay with his beloved instead of trying to escape his room every time he was awake. The blond blinked sleepily until he realized that a brown eye was meeting his own blue eyes.

"Kili! You're awake!" He grinned as he sat up. Just days ago, doctors removed the breathing tube, causing Fili’s heart to soar and hope filled his battered body for the first time in weeks.

Kili weakly smiled at him, squeezing the cop's hand again. All it took was a quiet, dry cough for Fili to rush to get the younger man a drink, spilling half the water in the process. Still, Kili managed to take the straw between chapped lips and drained most of the remaining water. This was the first time he had been this lucid, making the grin on the blonde’s lips just a bit goofy.

"How are you feeling?" Fili asked as he set the cup on the nightstand next to his bed.

"Tired...sore..." He scowled. "But I... it doesn't feel...I can't feel anything in my legs..."

Fili bit his lower lip. “Kili…do you remember what happened?”

Brown eyes closed, the struggle visible on his face. “Azog…he had you tied to that chair… and...and…”

“You saved me,” Fili finished for him, not wanting Kili to feel like he had given up so much for nothing. “You saved my life, but…it was a steep price for you to pay.”

Kili opened his eyes again, letting Fili see the fear that filled them. He gently clutched the slender hand in his own, dipping his head to kiss each knuckle. He needed Kili to know that he was safe and loved before he continued.

“There…there’s some nerve damage…from when you were hit on the back. The doctors…they don’t think you’ll ever be able to walk again.”

Kili blinked several times, trying to understand such simple words. “Never?”

Fili shook his head but tried to sound hopeful. “They think your hand will heal up enough so you’ll still be able to type…”

Lifting the heavy cast, the younger man looked at it as if seeing it for the first time. “Azog stomped on it…”

“And he crushed several bones.” Fili forced a smile. “You'll light up metal detectors from now on.”

Kili lowered his arm. “Mom?”

“She’s fine. She was the one who flagged down a trucker and called in the cavalry.” He hesitated, not sure if he should admit the next part. Kili beat him to it.

“She’s not here, is she?”

Shaking his head, Fili replied, “The officer that interviewed her said that she left right afterwards and hasn’t seen her since. I’m sorry.”

“No…it’s okay.” Kili sighed. “I didn’t think she’d stick around for her disgusting son.”

“Don’t say that! You are anything but! You saved my life! You’re a hero!” Fili calmed down some before continuing. “You’re my hero- have been since the first day I met you in that stuffy CCD office.”

At that, a little bit of light returned to the soft brown eyes. “You have some pretty low standards if I’m your hero.”

Fili made a show of looking miffed. “I’ll have you know that I have very high standards, thank you very much! Just ask Dwalin. Or my Uncle.”

The ploy worked and Kili managed a small chuckle, before sobering up. “So…where does this leave us?”

“With me getting over my fear of the elevator at home.”

Kili tilted his head a little, confused, but hopeful. “You…still want…me? I mean to live with you?”

“Of course I do!” He paused, remembering something. “But…um…There is this one thing…”

Kili blinked, fear creeping back into his features. “What?”

“Uncle Thorin wants us to come live with him until he deems us both healed and my apartment gets an upgrade for you.”

At that, Kili actually snorted. “Your uncle doesn’t even know me…”

“But he knows that I love you.” Fili smiled as he leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to the other’s forehead. “That’s enough for him. Well, that and the fact that Dwalin was his old army buddy and has spoken highly of you.”

“Oh.” Kili lightly blushed.

“Both of them will be stopping by later so you can meet him. I really think you’ll like him.”

“If he raised you, I’m sure I’ll like him too.”

Fili smiled and leaned in to steal a soft kiss from Kili’s lips. “I love you and I will never let anyone take you from me. Never again!”

“Even though I’m so broken?

“You are not broken. Injured, yes, but not broken.” He kissed the hand in his. And you and I will get through this together, alright?”

“But…Azog…He’s still out there.”

"You do remember what my uncle does for a living, right? Security company?” Fili grinned. “Besides, all of Homicide and half of the CCD are looking for him. Though, I’m placing my bets on Ori being the one to find him…”

Kili actually managed a small smile.

***  
Hours blended into days which, in turn, blurred into weeks. There talks and tears and even a bit of laughter. Fili kept true to his promise, never once leaving Kili’s side. He stayed with him as the younger man learned to maneuver his new wheelchair, held him when the tears flowed from frustration and pain and kissed away the fears of being abandoned.

When the time came for the cast on his hand to be removed, Kili was wrapped in Fili’s arms as the doctors confirmed the worst. While he would be able to do things like hold a book, he would never regain the fine motor control to actually turn the page. Fili held his love and whispered softly into his ear.

“It will be alright, Kili. I’ll get you an e-reader.”

The pair eventually gave up on Fili’s apartment when the landlord dragged his feet about the renovations, moving in with Thorin, who was more than happy to have them both stay with him in his mansion. He made sure to give them both ground floor bedrooms, close to the kitchen, as if encouraging Kili to eat as much as he wanted. It was Thorin who kept the younger man company when Fili finally returned to work, treating him like a second son.

Despite the love that surrounded him, the feelings of being lost and alone plagued Kili. It was only when Fili offered to come with him that he returned to seeing Dr. Tauriel. The sessions with the lovely doctor, along with a new prescription helped some, but Fili could see that it would be a lifelong battle to keep the man he loved more than life itself from slipping away from him.

Thorin helped when he could, offering to help Kili with furthering his education. After some soul searching (and some eager encouragement from Fili), the former hacker decided to take some cooking classes. Fili’s precinct greatly benefited from the man’s newfound love of baking. A day barely went by without the detective bringing in a platter of cupcakes, cookies or cakes with a smaller plate just for Ori.

Finally, the detective couldn't take it any more. At dinner that night, Fili dropped his fork to his plate and stood up. He knew he’d been acting odd all day and saw the fear in Kili’s eyes. His uncle, however, just looked amused.

“Kili, I know we haven’t known each other for very long but there is something I have to say.” He ignored the way Kili braced himself for the worst as he moved over to kneel next to the man’s wheelchair. Instead he smiled up at him, opened the box in his hands to reveal a band of twisted gold and silver. “Kili, will you marry me?”

The arms that wrapped around his neck as a body landed heavily against him and the sound of light hearted laughter, gave him his answer.

*fin*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can read the sad ending [here](http://projectinsanitywriting.tumblr.com/post/93380548904/sad-ending) .


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